Spool-holding device



Sept. 18, 1928. 1,684,951 J. T. 'DOWDALL SPOOL HOLDING DEVICE Filed June 16, 1927 IN VENTOR A TTORI I V Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES JAMES T. DOWDALL, OF GLEN MORRIS; NEW YORK.

SPOOL-HOLDING DEVICE.

' Application filed June 16, 1927. Serial No. 199,152.

This invention relates to improvements in spool, tube and cone holding devices adapted to be used with sewing machines, and

' 1 as forone of its objects the provision of tube or cone, and thus avoid any coilingor e such a device in which the thread maybe unwound while sewing, in the same direction that it was originally wound, that is, at right angles to the center line of such spool,

twisting-of the thread, with the resultant added friction on the thread and the tearing thereof. p

Another object ofthe invention 1s to do away with a wasteful fault common inpractically all devices, at present in use wlth power machines, that 1s,- when the thread I is drawn from a spool or the. like which is centered on a spindle, the thread due to the sudden momentum applied to the spool. by

the starting or varyingspeeds of the ma' chine, will drop off in loose circlets about the lower end of the spool and around the spindle as it revolves and will tangle the loose thread, become knotted, tear and often break the needledueto such knotting. The operator in order to clear the tangled thread from the spindle will pull off a quantity of the thread and discard it. This waste in large manufacturing establishments qulckly assumes large proportions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature in which a spool of thread or the like is frictionally held upon a plug or the like and made to revolve therewith, upon a ball hearing at the lower end thereof, when sewing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature in which a threaded spool or the like may be mounted to revolve with the minimum amount of friction. Q

A still further object of the invention is to provide a spool holding device provided with means to prevent any of the thread from becoming entangled with the spool mounting.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature with a spool mounting adaptedto be used with spools having different sizes of openings.

Other objects and novel features'of construction of my improved spool holding de vice will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of this specification, disclosing one embodiment of my invention,

7 by screws 12.

Figure 1 is a view inside elevation of my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal'section taken on line 22, Fig. 1 and Figure 3 is a top plan view of the ball bearing retaining means. a

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 5 ndlcates a base or support which may be suitably secured to a sewing machine table or the like, and is provided with a substantially U shaped frame 6 secured to, or integral with a bearing post 7 forming a part of the base 5.

The bearing post 7 is providedfat the upper end thereof with a cavity 8 (see Fig. 2) having a flat area 9 at the bottom thereof, This cavity 8 with its fiat bottom 9 forms a seat or bearing for a ball 10 Which is main-v tained in the said hearing by a bifurcated ball retaining member 11, secured to the post The upper arm 14 of the ll shaped frame 6 is provided with an open- 111g 15 through which passes a pin or rod 16 and maintained therein by a pin 17 passing through the upper endof the said rod 16. At the lower end of the said rod 16 there is rotatably mounted a roller 18 which forms an upper guide bearing for a spool 21. A' spring 19 hearing against a disk 20 fastto the rod 16 prevents the said rod and roller from accidentally rising out of posi: tion. A spool supporting base or disk 25 centrally located on a stud 26 provided with a fiat seat ball bearing 27 identical with the cavity 8 in the post 7 forms the lower and main bearing for the spool 21. The spool is frictionally maintained on the stud 26 by means ofa spring or resilient member 28 therein exerting a tension against the walls of the opening 29 in the spool 21. It will be understood that owing to the spring memup against the tension of the spring 19 and I a full one may be put in place and the rod is then released.

It will be understood, as it is clearly shown on the drawings that the disk 20 does not bear against the spool 21 and the roller 18 is 'member 31 will prevent any loose thread from falling below the bottom thereof and under the spool supporting disk 25. Should more thread than necessary become unwound from the spool when it is rotating in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) due to the sudden starting otthe sewing machine, the said thread will fall to and contact with'the bottom of the guide member 31, said sudden contact will cause the superfluous thread to be rewound on thespool in the opposite direction andwhen drawn upon will rotate the spool inthe opposite direction until the said superfluous thread isused up. A wool, felt or-ot-her fibrous material disk 32 under the spool 21 will also tend to prevent any unwound or loose thread from getting under the disk 25. Even if it were possible for any loose thread to get underthe disk 25 it could not become entangled thereunder with the stud 26 as the spool 21, disk 25 and the stud 26 revolve together and in the same direction.

It will be seen from the above that I have provided a simple and eflicient threaded spool holding device adapted to be used with sewing machines and one that will efliectively prevent any tangling or breaking of the thread.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a spool holding device, a support having a cavity, a ball within the cavity, a

ball retaining bifureated member on the support, a spool supporting base, a bearing stud in the base upon which the spool is adapted to be frictionally mounted to rotate therewith upon the ball, a frame on the support, and a. spool guiding bearing mounted in the frame in line with the bearing stud in the base. i

2. In a device for unwinding threadfrom a spool having an opening'therein, a support having a flat bottom cavity forming a seat for a ballbearing, a ball therein, a spool supporting base, a stud in the base forming a spool mounting, a resilient member on the stud to frictionally engage the interior of the spool opening, a frame on the support, a spool guiding bearingslidingly mounted in the frame in line with the stud in the base, the said, guiding bearing comprising a rod, a disk fixed to the rod spaced from the spool, a roller of a slightly smaller diameter than the opening in the spool near'the lower end of the rod and a spring exerting a pressure against the disk to prevent accidental displacement of the bearing, a flat bottom hearing in thestud restingon theball, and a thread guide on the frame.

3. In a device for unwinding thread from a spool having an opening therein, a support forming a lower bearing, a ballin the bearing upon which thespool is adapted to be rotatably mounted, a frame on the support, and a spool guiding upper bearing slidably mounted in the frame in line with the lower bearing, the said upper bearing; comprisinga rod, a disk fixed to the rod: spaced from the spool, a roller of a slightly smaller diameter than the openin in the spoolncar the lower end of the-r ertinga pressure against thedisk to I prevent accidental displacementof the bearing;

- JAMEST. DOWDALL.

, and a spring ex- 

